Dear Wendy,   I am sorry to have taken so long to answer your letter and sorry, too that you have been ill.   Hope you are better now and the new arrival – Alythea – pretty!!  is doing well and the family adjusting – quite a thing to be stretched!   You have probably heard of my fall and the damaged ribs – not a nice time – but getting better now.    My G.P. fixed me with a very efficient team of carers plus O.T., nurse, physio all advising so I was O.K. at home – very easy in this flat of course.   Jenny Morris was also superb – came and stayed the night at first, – I found it so hard to move!!    I think the old house is all set to go at the end of the month which will relieve us all  – dear old place!!  – a nice man buying it who really loves it.   Great to have had a talk to Elwyn.      Lots of love to you all.      Judy

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Wendy Campbell wrote:

Hello dear Judy

Babe and parents are settling into life now. Tris went back to work this week so they have begun the recreate the routine around that. Tom had a hard time of it all to start with. So many changes and he does not yet have the language to put some meaning around it all. We had to give him lots and lots of love. No trouble there with everyone around. The last time we had him was for the night last week. Tris, Blaine, Alythea and Tom all came for dinner, then Tris put Tom to bed in his cot here which he is coming to know well, then they went home. Elwyn gave him breakfast as she has got used to doing, then Jeanette, Christopher, Elwyn and I took him to a beach playground that Elly had spotted and really wanted to share with him before she returned to UK. Tom had a ball there, including a face plant in the soft white sand when he came flying down a slide. Apart from spitting out the sand as he got up he wasn’t worried:-) Then Jeanette and Elwyn took one hand each and took him for a walk along the beach, shoes and trousers off, making little splashes in the water when it reached him. We finished with morning tea at the cafe there where he had his first “baby cino” – frothy milk in a tiny coffee cup, which Jeanette taught him how to hold. Being surrounded by so many adoring “fans” meant that he shifted from the crotchety, insecure little man who had arrived at our place the previous evening to his more normal, generous, light-hearted self by the time he went home. And that was our role the entire time during the lead-up to, during and after Alythea’s birth.

Tom is very affectionate with Alythea, but makes sure that he gets the cuddles he needs too. It’s been fascinating observing this process as a grandmother. From Tom’s point of view there is absolutely no reason why he should accept or have affection for Alythea. It was not his idea. Yet Tristan and Blaine have prepared for this for a long time, and he has gained confidence by learning that he can stay away from them (eg with us) and they will come back. And they teach him by example more than anything how to relate to Alythea, which is the very best way to teach anything. So all is settling…

However it’s all taken it’s toll on me and this week I came down with my first chest infection since my heart operation in 2001. A salutary lesson!

Glad all is well with you and from your words about Arthur’s house I gather it has found it’s new owners. Wonderful!!!

Luv to you and Rosie,

Wendy

—————————————————————————–From: Judith Ellis

Sent: 21 September 2006 12:45 AM

To: Wendy Campbell

Subject: re your new website

Hello Wendy,

                I have tried several times to get your new website about your new granddaughter,  but just keep getting Rob about the sailing magazine!!   Am I doing something very wrong?   I hope all is going well with the babe and parents are happy.   I wonder what Tom thinks of his sister??   All well here just still busy with the house.   Theresa and Geoff are down this weekend – more sorting and packing!!   Fortunately they are very amicable over the whole process.

                Lots of love,      Judy